Connect the client's WhatsApp

This is the activation step that turns a signed contract into a live channel. Everything before it — access collection, creating the client's company — was preparation; everything after it — the bot, the ads, the leads — runs through the number you're about to connect. There are two routes, depending on what the client walks in with: a brand-new number, or a number they already use in the WhatsApp Business app. Both start in the same place and take about fifteen minutes.

Before you click anything

Two permission checks decide whether this goes smoothly or dies on the authorization screen:

• In Chatfuel: you need an Admin or Editor role in the client's company. Check in Settings.
• In Meta: the Facebook account that clicks Connect must have Full control of the client's business portfolio — verify at business.facebook.com/settings/people. Partner access to run ads is not enough for this step; the two ways agencies handle it (a screen-share with the client, or getting one person added with Full control) are covered in Partner access to the client's portfolio.

If you're doing this on a screen-share with the client — the most common setup for a first connection — have them log in to Facebook before the call starts. Half the delays are password resets.

Note: connecting a number requires authorizing with Meta in a real Facebook account, so the AI Co-Worker can't complete this step for you — it's one of the few hands-on steps in the product. It can take you straight to the right screen: ask it to open the WhatsApp connection settings.

Which number does the client have?

New number

Use this route when the client is dedicating a fresh number to the bot — nothing to migrate, cleanest setup.

1. Start the connection. In the client's company, open Settings in the left sidebar and click Add number in the WhatsApp section. Log in to Facebook and authorize Chatfuel.
2. Pick the client's portfolio. Select the client's existing business portfolio (or create one — if you're building the client's Meta presence from scratch, follow When the client has no Business Manager first). Then choose Create a WhatsApp Business account and click Next.
3. Set the display name. Fill in the business info and the display name — what customers see in the chat header. Meta reviews it: use the client's real business name, skip decorative punctuation, and never include "WhatsApp" or "Meta" in it. A rejected name stalls the whole connection.
4. Verify the number. Choose Add a new number, enter it, and pick verification by text or call. Enter the code, review what Chatfuel will access, and click Confirm.

You'll see "Your account is connected to Chatfuel" — the number now appears in Settings.

Existing WhatsApp Business App number

Use this route when the client already runs their business through the WhatsApp Business app and wants to keep the number. Nothing is lost: contacts, chat history, and their product catalog all survive, and the client keeps using the app exactly as before — Chatfuel layers on top.

1. Start the connection. Same entry point: Settings → Add number, log in to Facebook, authorize Chatfuel.
2. Pick the portfolio and route. Select the client's business portfolio, then choose Connect a WhatsApp Business app. Enter the client's active WhatsApp Business number.
3. Scan the QR code. A QR code appears on the computer screen. On the client's phone, in the WhatsApp Business app, a message from Facebook Business arrives with a Connect button (if it doesn't, go to Settings → Account → Business Platform → Connect to the Business Platform). Scan the QR code from there — this is why the client, or their phone, needs to be on the call.
4. Decide on chat history. Meta asks whether to Share chats with Chatfuel — importing up to 6 months of history and contacts — or start clean. Share it: your bot and the leads pipeline are better with the client's existing contacts in them, and imported contacts are tagged with their source.
5. Confirm and finish. Check the timezone (it drives scheduled messages), review the permissions, and click Confirm.

Important: the chat-history choice is permanent. "Share chats" vs. "Don't share chats" cannot be changed after connection. Decide it with the client before the call, not while the QR code is on screen.

After the connection

The number shows up in Settings, and the client's company is live. Two follow-ups, in this order:

1. Start business verification today. Until the client's Meta business is verified, the number is capped at 250 conversations a day — a cap you want lifted before ads start driving traffic, not after.
2. Feed the AI. A connected number with an empty brain answers nothing — upload the client's business info so the bot has something to say.

Once messages start flowing, keep the 24-hour rule in mind — it shapes everything you'll send on this number.

If the connection failed somewhere along the way — QR code errors, "number not associated with the selected business", the portfolio missing from the popup — every known failure and its fix is in Common Meta access errors.